Mrsa - Louisville,KY

Both of my kids got it and we found it kind of the same way. They both went on antibiotics and it went away. The doctors really acted like it was no big deal and they told me it was a staph infection and anyone can get it anywhere. I was very freaked out by it and I still put the prescription antibiotic cream on any little thing I see, but this was about 2 years ago and have had no other issues.

If handled correctly, it will clear up and is not a huge deal. The problem occurs when the infection goes systemic or starts to affect organs. It is very contagious though. Use only white towels so that they can be bleached after every use. Make sure not to wash any other areas that may have open areas with the towel after washing the infected area. Pour 1 cup of bleach in the bath tub with daily baths. Wash sheets very very often. Everyday is a pain but very helpful. Keep the area covered and allow no one to touch the site without cloves. HANDWASHING, HANDWASHING, HANDWASHING with antibacterial soap. Yes this is a time to actually properly use antibacterial soap. Since your mother squeezed the infection, she probably did it without gloves and should look for any signs on her or have a nasal swab to rule it out on her. When you are washing your daughter (if she is that age); wear gloves. Have her take and finish the antibiotics and use the creams they give you. Even if you think the infection has cleared, please finish the antibiotic as well as the cream. It becomes more serious in older people and more serious with reoccuring infections. So it is a little of a pain in that you have to wash towels, PJs and sheets daily. You have to wear gloves when washing her, when doing the infected laundry you have to wear gloves and if she has had the area on open carpet area, you will need to spray it down. A bit of a pain for about 10 days, but you can get through it. I just think of it as a very similar situation as lice or crabs. Such a pain in the butt to get rid of but with proper care it will happen. Good Luck and here is a (((HUG))).

Not a big deal, really. MRSA is EVERYWHERE. First thing, however, is nobody outside of a medical environment should squeeze or pop it. That only allows the bacteria to spread. My niece was staying with us and I noticed a small bump that grew into a huge boil over a 3-4 day period. I took her to my pedi who suggested I watch it, but on day 4 I took her into the ER to have it drained. They cultured it and results came back positive for MRSA. Antibiotics cured it right up. It's more dangerous in the elderly and in cases where it effects internal organs. Otherwise, don't worry too much. She might need a special Clorox bath, linens need to be washed in very hot water and they might want to treat the nasal passage in the event of recurrence. It's a nuisance, but nothing to get to anxious over.

You might want to search questions on here, there was a family with it that posted last week. Sounds like a nightmare, but what they described didn't sound like a bump with stuff that came out. God bless.

I have had MRSA and you have to be on STRONG antibiotics. MRSA means you are immune to many antibiotics so I had to get some from Cali when the others did not make it go away. It can be deadly so you must follow up, I can't understand why it is taking up to 4 days for results, they knew mine in 15 mins!! Literally they left and came back 15 mins later into the office. It is very serious!

E., Relax and take a deep breath. MRSA caught in it's early stages can be treated orally with antibiotics and topically with an antibiotic cream. You have heard the horror stories on the news but you would be surprised if you knew who else had it but was afraid to tell you about it. You did the right thing by taking your daughter in as soon as you realized that something was just not right. Relax Mom. She's going to be fine.

I have had MRSA. I actually got it trying to drain an abcess on my room mates kids leg (to send into the lab for testing). Since I was in the medical feild they needed my help and because it was at home, stupid me didn't have gloves to wear (I didn't even think of it). When I went into the dr. he told me I would have been just as likely to get it from any place else. Just treat it like he said (I was on antibiotics and a topical cream) and it will go away. The kid I was helping had it really bad, all around her diaper area, and all on her legs. The mom prolonged going to the doctor when it was just one bump is why it got so bad. You did the right thing by taking her in right away, that helps a lot when trying to treat it. When you do treat her, wear rubber gloves, wash her hands and your hands a lot, and wash her bedsheets often, wipe down counters and such often with a good disinfectant. The most important thing is, for her not to touch the area (I kept bandages on my bumps). If it itches her try a place a cold compress on it, do not let her scratch, it will spread it around. Hang in there!

Oh, my yes have had experience with mrsa but not with a child however I will tell you our story and try to help you with your fears. Listen I'd call your child's doctor and have them step up the beat on the lab from which the urgent care care gets reports from...you need to know asap if it's mrsa and frankly they should be able to tell you within 24 hours or less. Your child's doctor can get people jumping plus they need to know about this.

She also should be looked at if you have no results in 3-4 days by her doctor not the urgent care. So I'd call them now and set up an appt for you ped to see her asap.

Mrsa you can't get it unless it's uncovered. There are people known as carriers so that's why it's now out in the world everywhere not just in hospitals. People they found children can carry it in their nose so that's another reason why when a kid does a sneeze it's important wo wash hands or use a santizer when blowing your nose, adults can be carriers too.

Now don't worry an antibiotic can work but in not working sometimes they have to do a bit of surgery to remove the dead tissue of infection. My husband got mrsa had a few surgeries in a week with it that's why i say call your doctor and have them get on the lab and/or the urgent care, you need to know incase she needs surgery. Don't mean to scare you but it's a real fact and can be a serious illness. Yes it's scary and it can be a horror story so yours isn't kick some tail and get people moving. My husband just had to be tested again when he had surgery for something else they tested under his arm and told me 24 hours for results hospital policy once you've had mrsa and surgery at the same hospital even if it's for something else.

Sorry i can't ease your mind since it's serious but don't worry since she may not even have it and be a pain in their behinds about getting the results plus seeing her doctor about it or a specialist asps!

Thoughts and prayers are with you

PS DON'T SOAK THIS INFECTION IF IT'S MRSA SOAKING WILL MAKE IT WORSE AND YES IN ESPON SALT NO ESPON SALT WE DID THAT AND THE DOCTOR SAID IT MADE IT WORSE! DON'T DO HOME REMEDIES WITH THIS WOUND PLEASE!

One last thing it's not a problem when it affects organs it's a problem period if it effects organs it's bad.....you can still need surgery even if it's not effecting an organ....think dead tissues not responding to antibotic.

It is not a big deal because sulfa antibiotics can treat MRSA infections. Typically when they send the culture to the lab they test it to see what it is resistant to and then treat it accordingly. If it comes back negative for MRSA then it is just considered a staph infection. Either way it is treated with antibiotics which should clear it up without a problem. Don't lose sleep over it!

MRSA is a bacterial infection (like what can cause a pimple), but the problem is MRSA does not respond well to antibiotics. My sister had it when she was in college (got it from a minor surgical procedure) and the backwoods hospital where her college town was located kept giving her antibiotic after antibiotic, but it would jut go away for a few days and almost any time she got a small scratch (like frm her own fingernail), a HUGE boil would come back. She finally got some super strong antibiotics at home and it cleared up. Now because my sister took so many antibiotics, most of them don't work for her anymore.

Sounds like you are getting good care, so good luck to you and your daughter. I know one person doesn't change the world, but I try to avoid antibiotics unless it is a serious situation (such as yours), because it is ourr over-reliance on antibiotics that has helped create these super-germs that are becoming resistant to all forms of treatment. Just one momma's opinion!!

E.:
My son had it in April. (10 yrs old) He had a sore on his leg from a bike wreck. We treated it and it was all but healed. Imagine my surprise when the school nurse calls to say they think he had MRSA. I work w/ Doctors, etc so I was freaking out. They did a swab and it took 5 days to get results. They immediately treated him w/ antibiotics and gave me an rx for an ointment. I used those 2x a day and kept the place covered at all times. I wore gloves to change dressing and made sure he washed his hands frequently. When he showered, he would use gloves and wash it w/ antibacterial soap. It cleared up in a couple weeks. I also used 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to spray the furniture, bed clothes, door knobs, clean phones, tv remotes, etc. Washed dishes in bleach water, etc. I'm sure I went overboard, but it is really scary when you hear MRSA. After he was healed, I was told to watch any little scratch and/or sore that he received, keep them washed, bandaged, etc as the chance of him getting MRSA again would be high. We are careful and due to all of this he has become more aware of hygiene. It it is a bad case and the antis they give you do not clear it up, she may have to go in and have IV antibiotics. Oh, and I used paper towels in the bathroom until it was all over w/ that way the towel would not be touched and used by anyone else.

Good luck!
A.

My all-purpose old-time remedy for any type of infection or sore place it to soak it or apply compresses of hot epsom salt water several times a day. It might not help much, but it usually does -- and it won't hurt anything (unless the user is diabetic)!

One of my daycare boys had a spot in his diaper area. He absolutely hated it and threw a fit whenever we changed him. His mother is a nursing student. She kept it cleaned and covered. I never bothered the bandages, but he still threw a fit. I guess it's rather painful. But he's only 2, so I am not sure about that. Maybe he just hated the way the doctor poked around it.

Anyway, it healed up in a couple of weeks. His mother said they've each had it a few times.

Not to scare you but my husband was in the hospital for 5 days with MRSA due to a what started as a small infection. MRSA is resistant to antibotics. Is the sore getting worse and are red lines of infection going down her arm? If so take her to the emergency room. According to the hospital he was in that would not have released him if they only "thought" it might be MRSA. They took him in for testing right then. MRSA is a nasty thing but can be cured if handled correctly ~ highly contagious.